Chapter 8

I turned my head to the side, still sleepy. Seiya was still peacefully asleep beside me. Sun rays were already streaming through the window, and I blinked at the clock. Damn, I didn't hear the alarm. Minako would be here in half an hour, and Seiya should have been at the studio an hour ago.

"Seiya, come on, get up! We overslept!" I gently shook his shoulder.

"Why? What time is it?" he mumbled.

"It's already 9 o'clock."

He jumped out of bed, quickly putting on his clothes as he headed for the bathroom. Impressive how fast he got ready. I started getting ready as well and joined him in the bathroom. Seiya gave me a quick kiss before rushing out the door. I was in the middle of combing my hair when I heard him talking to someone.

"Darling? Your visitor is here," he called out a bit louder.

Oh no. I stuck my head out the door and saw Seiya closing it behind him. In the hallway stood a pale Minako with wide-open eyes. Oops. Well, I guess it's out now. After a moment of shock, Minako rushed into the bathroom.

"Was that Seiya Kou just now? The Seiya Kou from Three Lights? What is he doing in your apartment? What about Mamoru?"

"Shit, I guess I have no choice but to tell Minako everything - or at least the part about Seiya. If I bring Diamond into the picture too, she'd surely lose her mind. I should definitely keep that to myself for now," I thought.

Minako sat on the edge of the bathtub, arms crossed over her chest, looking at me with curiosity. I sat down on the closed toilet seat, trying to meet her gaze. I attempted to decipher her expression, but that wasn't easy today. I took a deep breath and pondered where to begin.

"Yes, that was Seiya Kou just now," I finally said. Minako's expression didn't change a bit. Couldn't she at least let her poker face slip a little? That was really unfair.

"Do you remember the bouquet of flowers I received about 9 months ago? That huge monstrosity," I continued slowly.

Minako nodded. "Yes, from the annoying young man on the plane who then invited you to dinner." Finally, a reaction - her eyes widened, and it seemed like the penny dropped. "That was him?"

"Yes, exactly. Come on, let me make us some coffee, and then I'll tell you everything." Luckily, she didn't object, and I could buy myself some more time. I had never taken so long to set the table and brew coffee. Minako remained silent, just sitting at the table and observing me as I went about my tasks.

Nervously, I sat down beside her. How would she react when she found out everything? I would find out soon enough, to be precise, in the next few minutes. She still hadn't said a word, but her accusatory gaze continued to pierce through me.

"So... yes, the man from the plane was indeed Seiya. I didn't actually know who he was when we were arguing. I only found out later at the airport in Seattle. In the plane, I had told him about having a boyfriend. But after I showed up for dinner, he assumed that Mamoru was just a made-up excuse to turn him down. My mistake back then was not contradicting him. I just let his assumption hang in the air. That evening marked the beginning for us. Seiya started contacting me regularly, and our meetings became more frequent and intimate. I think you know what I mean," I began, stirring my coffee nervously, unable to look her in the eye.

"Has it been going on like this for the entire nine months?" Minako asked after a brief silence. I forced myself to nod.

"Do you love him?"

"I... I think so. When he's here, everything feels so easy. I just feel complete when he's around."

Mina slurped her coffee before probing further. "And what about Mamoru? Do you still love him too?"

That was the exact problem that had been brought to my attention in the past few days. During the days I couldn't reach him, I had panicked and felt an overwhelming fear for him. I still felt the relief that washed over me when I finally heard his voice and the warm tingling sensation when he told me he loves me.

"Yes, I love both of them," I said meekly, mentally adding Diamond as the third. Though the feelings involved with Diamond were quite different. Of course, strong desire was also a feeling, but it was clearly not as deep.

Minako finally dropped her poker face and revealed a concerned expression.

"And how do you expect this to work out? You can't be with both of them. It wouldn't be fair to either of them."

Oh, Mina, if only you knew. I've been juggling two men for several months now. But I couldn't tell her that. Yet she was right.

"I know it's not fair, but I can't decide. Mamoru has been with me for half of my life. He's been my steady partner, my rock, for over four years. We've been through so much together... But Seiya... Just the thought of never seeing him again takes my breath away. He's been there for me the whole time, even when he was in Europe, he inquired about my well-being every day. Mina, he even lives here."

"I had a feeling. When is Mamoru coming back?" she asked gently.

I tried to put on a smile. "Actually, in 12 weeks, but he told me last night that he might be able to shorten it and be back in 5 weeks."

Minako scratched her head thoughtfully. "Alright, then we have 5 weeks left to figure out who you choose."

I stared at her in disbelief. Did she just say "we"? How can she help me with this decision? She only knows the tip of the iceberg.

"Close your eyes," she said. Surprised, I closed my eyes and waited to see what she had in mind.

"Now, imagine Seiya on one side and Mamoru on the other. Who do you go to?" I blinked at her.

"To be completely honest, Mina, I have no idea. I've been agonizing over this for a while now. Mamoru and I have so much history together. But Seiya... He's changed my life."

Minako sighed and slurped her coffee again. "Have you tried making a pros and cons list?"

"No, not yet. I didn't think it would be this difficult. At the beginning, it was just a friendship with Seiya, as you said back then, just to get out and have some fun... and now he's been living with me for half a year. I've never taken that step with Mamoru."

Minako frowned. "You say he's been living with you for half a year? Why didn't I notice anything? I mean, it should have caught my attention or the state of your bathroom," she gestured towards a picture of us on the sideboard.

"Seiya's manager thought it would be best for him to remain single in public to not alienate his female fans. I had to promise him that no one would find out, so every time he was away, I packed his things in a box and slid it under the bed. That's why you never noticed anything."

"That's why you also canceled our movie night a few weeks ago, right?"

"Yes, he found out the day before that they wouldn't be leaving again until two days later." Minako gave me a slightly reproachful look. "But I thought I was your best friend. You could have told me earlier. What I'm also curious about is why you set this up today. The picture is there, there's a huge amount of men's grooming products in your bathroom, and he even opened the door for me." In hindsight, I was really ill-prepared for today. It was probably related to Seiya and his request to break out of our bubble. Was I unconsciously ready for this step without even realizing it? On the other hand, we had more than enough to deal with yesterday with our rice disaster, and we also overslept.

"Yeah, it wasn't planned like this," I muttered, feeling embarrassed.

"So, if he hadn't opened the door for me today, you still wouldn't have told me anything about him?" she asked with a clear undertone.

"I... I don't know. He told me a few days ago that he doesn't want to hide anymore. He wants us to be seen as a couple in public now. It scares me a bit."

"Well, shit, you've maneuvered yourself into quite a mess. Let me summarize this now, please. You still love Mamoru, he's coming back from America in 5 weeks, and he knows nothing. He thinks you've been the faithful waiting girlfriend all this time. But then you happened to meet this internationally hot star, fell in love with him as well, and he moved in with you after just a few weeks... But you do realize that if you're photographed together as a couple in public, it will make a big wave in the American media."

I buried my face in my hands. Of course, I was aware of that. She wasn't telling me anything new. Welcome to my life.

"Of course, I know that. That's why I told Seiya that I'm not comfortable with the public aspect of it. He understood and said that I can set the pace. Mina, can we focus on something pleasant now? I've been obsessing over these men every free minute. I need something to take my mind off it. That's what helps me the most at the moment."

Minako immediately had several distraction plans ready, and I was grateful for that. Not a word was spoken about Seiya or Mamoru for the rest of the day. But I was relieved that she finally knew and that I had someone to talk to. It was truly refreshing to spend a day without the stress of men. After a successful shopping trip, we treated ourselves to some wellness before snuggling up on my couch and catching up on our movie night. That was exactly what I needed at the moment.